No ‘Soft Corner’ For Crime: Female Cops Spearhead Punjab Anti-Gangster Push Under Mann Govt

Punjab Police is led by women officers in Gangstran Te Vaar and Operation Prahar, employing intelligence-led enforcement, community outreach, and technology-driven actions to weaken gangster networks and improve safety.

Women officers in Punjab Police are now central to major crime operations, from anti-gangster drives to neighbourhood outreach. Leading initiatives like 'Gangstran Te Vaar’ and 'Operation Prahar’, they are weakening organised crime, supporting the Bhagwant Mann Government’s agenda for a safer Punjab, and reshaping leadership patterns within the force.

Under these campaigns, Punjab Police has carried out 59,015 raids at locations linked with gangster associates across the state. Officers have arrested 21,154 individuals and picked up 888 proclaimed offenders since the drive began. These sustained actions target gangster networks, drug traffickers and organised criminal groups through coordinated, intelligence-based enforcement.

Punjab Police women officers leadership in Gangstran Te Vaar

Backed by the Punjab Government, 79 women officers currently serve across ranks from Special Director General of Police to Deputy Superintendent of Police. Records list 4 DGPs, 1 ADGP, 2 IGP/CP, 2 DIGs, 18 SSPs/AIG/Commandant including 3 SSPs, 23 SP, 1 ASP and 28 DSPs, all women. Five of these officers head field postings and oversee sensitive operations, including 'Gangstran te Vaar’.

These officers join the service with strong academic records and rigorous training, and quickly prove effective in operational and administrative roles. They are skilled in technology, understand digital crime patterns and focus on making Punjab one of India’s safest states. Their presence in leadership roles also encourages young women to consider policing as a serious career option.

The distribution of senior women officers in Punjab Police is shown below.

Inspector General of Police, Faridkot Range, Nilambari Jagdale said the operations are aimed at breaking entire criminal ecosystems rather than just arresting individuals. "With a firm resolve to eradicate gangsterism, drug trafficking and organised crime from the roots, under the leadership of Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann and directions of Gaurav Yadav, DGP Punjab, the team have been carrying continuous targeted and stringent action across the state against gangsters, their associates, their relatives, anti-social elements, drug traffickers and organised criminal groups."

The Inspector General of Police, Faridkot Range added that the campaign’s core aim is to reach the foundations of these gangs. "The primary objective of this campaign is to reach the roots of criminal networks, completely dismantle their operations and further strengthen the sense of security among the general public. In this series, 'Operation Prahar 1.0' and 'Operation Prahar 2.0' were launched," added the Inspector General of Police, Faridkot Range.

Nilambari Jagdale underlined that leadership within Punjab Police is based on skill and resolve, not gender. "Be it female or male officers, leadership, planning and courage does not depend on gender. I think the female officers are performing a great job in the coordination and Punjab Police has a great skill set of police personnel. I think the victims and witnesses trust the female officers, and never hesitate to share their problems. We have handled various cases under operation Gangstran Te Vaar, and the challenges always differ. We have to act a step ahead from the criminals."

She also described how gangs try to adapt and how teams respond. "Sometimes they choose a heavily dense area to make public as a shield, but again, we have to be active and put our best foot forward to discourage them from committing crimes. These days, the gangsters also use modern technology, this is the area where we have improved our teams. A mix of female and male police force gives a healthy sign of a progressive state. It is also encouraging for the youngsters, which is important for increasing community policing," she added.

Punjab Police Gangstran Te Vaar operations and technology-led action

Under 'Gangstran Te Vaar’ and linked drives, Punjab Police has also gone after the money and logistics that support gangs. Officers analyse call detail records, tower dump data and IP information to locate associates and support networks. This data-led approach guides targeted raids and detailed verification, ensuring actions are sharper and based on intelligence.

SSP Faridkot Pragya Jain said the nature of policing has changed, with teamwork and skill more important than identity. SSP Faridkot Pragya Jain underlined that modern policing is defined by competence and coordination rather than gender, highlighting how women officers are contributing at every level of operations. "I firmly believe policing is about competence, courage and commitment not gender. In operations like 'Gangstran Te Vaar', women officers have demonstrated all three. Anti-gangster drives involving coordinated crackdowns show that modern policing is intelligence-driven and team-led."

Sharing an example from a recent crackdown, the SSP Faridkot said, "Women officers lead from the front at planning and execution stages. In a specific instance, during a late-night operation targeting a habitual offender network, our lady PCR team secured local intelligence from women in the locality, something male teams often struggle with. That input directly led to arrests the next morning."

Explaining day-to-day challenges, Pragya Jain pointed to the need for calm and methodical work. Detailing the operational challenges, she added, "We resort to evidence-based questioning and stay calm under psychological pressure thereby resulting in success stories. Challenges are information asymmetry and time-sensitivity. Policing today requires diversity in leadership styles. Mainstreaming women officers, training them and deploying them across operational roles reflects institutional maturity."

The Faridkot SSP said that every officer must meet the same expectations, regardless of background. The Faridkot SSP asserted, "Policing is ultimately about service and accountability. Whether man or woman, every officer in uniform carries the same responsibility. My effort in Faridkot has been to build a force where every officer gets equal opportunity to lead, contribute and make a difference on the ground."

Punjab Police Gangstran Te Vaar community outreach and citizen support

In Khanna, focus under 'Gangstran te Vaar’ includes stronger ties with residents in vulnerable areas. SSP Khanna Dr Darpan Ahluwalia highlighted the growing importance of community participation in strengthening policing outcomes. "Gangstran te Vaar, Khanna Police is strengthening community participation as a core strategy. While often termed soft policing, this approach has shown strong on-ground impact, especially in identified hotspots tackled jointly with the civil administration. Through 'Ghar Ghar Sampark Muhim', our teams are engaging directly with citizens while dressed in civilian clothes, going door to door, addressing grievances and gathering vital human intelligence."

SSP Khanna said public involvement remains essential for crime control across districts. "The fight against crime is a collective battle, one that cannot be won by the police alone, but with the active support of the people of Punjab," said the SSP Khanna.

Arrests under Operation Prahaar have been organised in a structured way to help long-term tracking. The detained persons are classified as associates, relatives or unlisted individuals. Each group is further split into A+, A and B categories. This system helps plan preventive detention, focused interrogation and wider enforcement actions across Punjab.

Families and colleagues of these women officers express pride as they handle risky duties alongside male counterparts. Their role in both tough field raids and patient community work has helped increase trust, especially among victims and witnesses. Together, these efforts support the state’s broader goal of weakening gangsterism and improving everyday security for people in Punjab.